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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27202903">The Fear of Discovery</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheQuietWings/pseuds/TheQuietWings'>TheQuietWings</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Magnus Archives (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blanket Permission, Crack Crossover, Crack Relationships, Crack Treated Seriously, Creepy Elias Bouchard, Elias Bouchard Being Elias Bouchard, M/M, Sorry Not Sorry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:54:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>601</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27202903</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheQuietWings/pseuds/TheQuietWings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Elias Bouchard gets an unusual but expected visitor. Gilderoy Lockhart has a bad time.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elias Bouchard &amp; Gilderoy Lockhart, Elias Bouchard/Gilderoy Lockhart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Fear of Discovery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Elias was supposed to have an appointment 45 minutes ago. The appointee is late. On purpose. Something about fashionable entrances, Elias could care less. He contemplates the merits of snapping his pen in half, but that would be overly dramatic and a waste of good office supplies. It will be worth it. It <strong>will</strong> be worth it.</p>
<p>“I’m <em>so</em> sorry!” The man who bursts into Elias’s office is, to put it simply, extravagant. He wears a perfectly fitted, lilac-colored cloak, with a matching suit. His hair is similarly primped and preened to utter perfection like a peacock. He’s very handsome. Elias despises him utterly. “It’s hard to get away from one’s fans! I’m glad you agreed to meet with me. Stories such as mine deserve to be recorded in such a prestigious institute.” Elias smiles as the man sits across from him, and his face falls for just a moment like someone who’s just realized the brushing against their leg as they swim is a shark. He recovers quickly. “Where are my manners? I am Gilderoy Lockhart, as you probably know.” Oh, Elias Knows. Elias Knows so much about Gilderoy Lockhart and his... exploits. Gilderoy extends a hand. Elias ignores it.</p>
<p>“You said you wanted to make a statement.” Normally, he’d send those right down to his new favorite archivist, but this is a treat he wants to savor.</p>
<p>“Of course! I’m sure you’ve read my books,” Elias wouldn’t waste time on such drivel, but he nods anyway. You need bait to set a lure, after all. “But I have some new adventures I could share. Exclusive previews, you understand.” Elias places the pen against a blank sheet of paper on his desk. He has no intention to write anything, but Gilderoy just needs a little bit of encouragement. “You see, I’d just run across a rash of kelpies in Scotland-”</p>
<p>“Kelpies?” Elias interrupts, just to see Gilderoy stutter to a halt and then flash a beaming smile to cover up the fault.</p>
<p>“Nasty beasts. They were tormenting a village, stealing away children, but I knew how to handle them.”</p>
<p>“Did you?” Elias asks. Gilderoy stops again. Elias can see that same fear enter into his eyes again.</p>
<p>“What?” Elias sets the pen down and leans forward.</p>
<p>“Did you, Gilderoy Lockhart?” He asks, his voice cruel. “Did you handle those kelpies, just as you’ve defeated countless other creatures?”</p>
<p>“I don’t underst-”</p>
<p>“Or did you steal these stories and the memories of anyone who could say otherwise?” Gilderoy’s face goes pale. Elias feels delight bubble in his veins. He forces Gilderoy to hold his gaze, unblinking. “You’ve been waiting for someone to find out. You tell yourself you can take their memory as well, but how many times? What if your spells begin to wear off? There would be a mob of furious men and women after you, and they could take on werewolves, vampires, banshees. What exactly will you do to stop them?” Elias circles the desk like a vulture. Gilderoy is frozen, for only a moment, and then his hand goes to his wand. He points the flimsy wood at Elias and yells.</p>
<p>“<em>Obliviate</em>!” Elias feels the spell rush over him, a drop of water attempting to wash away a desert, and his smile widens.</p>
<p>“Not this time, Gilderoy.” Now, this is a meal. The fear of being discovered, of being Seen, radiates from Lockhart in waves. Elias puts a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve wasted enough of my time. Let’s see what you really have to offer.” And what happens next, well...</p>
<p>Elias will savor those screams for months.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I apologize for the existence of this and blame my friends for encouraging me to write it.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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